


Unusual Patient, An

by flowerpotgirl



Category: The West Wing
Genre: F/M, Humor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2007-11-11
Updated: 2007-11-11
Packaged: 2019-05-15 01:29:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,242
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14781050
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flowerpotgirl/pseuds/flowerpotgirl
Summary: Donna meets her midwife for the first time





	Unusual Patient, An

**Author's Note:**

> A copy of this work was once archived at National Library, a part of the [ West Wing Fanfiction Central](https://fanlore.org/wiki/West_Wing_Fanfiction_Central), a West Wing fanfiction archive. More information about the Open Doors approved archive move can be found in the [announcement post](http://archiveofourown.org/admin_posts/8325).

  
Author's notes: Got a thing in my head about how others see J&D.  
Normal disclaimer  


* * *

Louisa was a very experienced midwife and much in demand. In fact the only reason she had space for another patient was that she had recently moved to DC following eight years working abroad. She had come highly recommended and was noted for being especially good with tricky and at risk pregnancies, so she was surprised to find no mention of any specific issues on the notes of her newest patient.  
The patient’s doctor had definitely muttered something about this pregnancy warranting the description tricky, but the notes he had sent were fairly standard.

Mother’s name; Donna Lyman  
Occupation: Political operative  
Primagravida  
Due date 4/11/08  
Mother had PE following multiple trauma and surgery 4 years ago.  
No other significant family history

Father’s name: Joshua Lyman  
Occupation: Political operative  
Family history - father has health issues following major surgery some years ago.

Louisa arranged to visit Donna at home for their first time as she liked to get a feel for the patient’s home and family. It had been quite difficult to arrange a convenient time and Louisa hoped this wasn’t going to be one of those patients who thought they could continue everything the same once they started a family. Some of the professional women she met seemed to think they could have a baby without making any effort to work with doctors and midwives. They tended to be the ones who found the reality of a small baby the hardest to manage. Between them and the ones who were determined to be the best earth mother ever, Louisa sometimes wondered if any of her patients lived in the real world. As far as she was concerned, babies (and their parents) needed to be handled with a large dose of common sense and realistic expectations.

The woman who answered the door was tall and blonde with an air of assurance about her. Louisa could tell that she was successful, but the welcome was warm and Donna was keen to talk to Louisa. In fact she had prepared a series of index cards with questions.  
‘So, the father….’ Louisa ventured.  
‘Josh tends to get anxious so it is better if I only tell him what he needs to know. Anyway it is difficult for him to get away in the middle of the day.’  
Middle of the day - it was gone 5 thought Louisa, obviously a workaholic.  
‘Anxious?’  
‘He already has me lying down in my office in the afternoon and pops in to check.’  
‘How does he manage that or do you work nearby?’  
Donna gave Louisa a startled look.  
‘Oh, did Dr White not tell you? We both work at the White House. In fact, you should have a request for a copy of all my tests and so on to be sent to the doctor there. We decided that way someone knowledgeable would be able to reassure Josh that everything was fine.’  
‘He’s that anxious! I thought the White House doctor was for the First Family not for all the staff.’  
‘Josh will be on the phone to you and Dr White continually if we don’t have someone on hand to brief him regularly. Dr Bartlett suggested it as she knows what Josh is like. We wouldn’t put it past him to have the Surgeon General calling you as well. With Josh it pays to be prepared.’  
Louisa was taken aback. If this Josh could get the Surgeon General to make enquiries on his behalf then that put him pretty high up the pecking order in the White House. Josh Lyman, now where had she seen that name before?  
‘Mrs Santos and I thought about it and have decided that having the doctor involved will hopefully stop Josh bugging everyone else and driving them mad with his worries and so it could be seen to be in the interests of the First Family to have their doctor kept informed. The Secret Service was keen as they don’t want Josh panicking and rushing me to the hospital every few days. In fact, I think the decision was unanimous. West Wing, East Wing, the Secret Service and probably even Congress would all rather we keep Josh informed and reassured so that he can stay focussed at work.’  
Light bulbs started exploding in Louisa’s head. Dr Bartlett-Mrs Santos-the Secret Service. Of course, she had seen an article in a foreign newspaper, when she had been away, talking about the Santos administration and the new (at the time) Chiefs of Staff. There had been some passing reference to ‘The Second Couple’ as the media had dubbed them. Was this why a seemingly routine pregnancy had been referred to as ‘tricky’?  
Major surgery - another bulb flashed - the shooting at Rosslyn - she had heard about that while she was in France - if she remembered correctly Josh Lyman had been seriously injured. She would need to explore that issue at a later date, but, for now, she had other work to do. She went through the initial paperwork with Donna and did a brief examination. No problem there.  
Suddenly, there was a noise at the door and in rushed a dishevelled man trailed by two serious looking men in dark suits.  
‘I’m sorry I’m late. The Ambassador kept talking.’  
‘Lord John?’  
‘Yes, the man’s a menace when he gets going. He propositioned Ronna who was at a loss as to how to treat him. He asked after you and I told him you were barefoot and pregnant and do you know what he had the gall to say?’  
‘Josh’  
‘He said….’  
‘JOSH’  
‘What?’  
‘This is Louisa, the midwife.’  
Louisa blinked as Josh Lyman turned towards her with a heart stopping smile. My, but the man was attractive when he wasn’t ranting.  
‘Hi Louisa. I’m Josh and I suppose you’ve been warned about me?’  
Yeah, but not about the right things thought Louisa wryly. Whatever the difficulties this man would cause, and Louisa knew he would cause a few, it was hard to resist the little boy look coupled with an innate charm. At that moment the Lyman fan club increased by one.  
‘I work for the President and tend to be just a little over-protective so I made them promise me the best midwife in the district. Anything Donna needs just tell me. Dr Johnson at the White House and Dr Bartlett will both be in touch with you, as well as Dr White. The Surgeon General says it’s not her field but let her know if she can help in any way. Hey Donna,’ without a blink the serious intent man before her suddenly turned into an over-excited small boy, ‘she gave me a lollipop AND a badge ‘cos I was a good boy and only asked reasonable, well reasonableish, questions this time.’  
Donna smiled ‘Well done Josh. You showed remarkable restraint.’ She turned to Louisa with a sigh. ‘Last time we saw her Josh wanted to know exact figures for the incidence of cleft palate and some obscure condition I hadn’t even heard of. As I wasn’t even sure I was pregnant, it kinda let the cat out of the bag.’  
Louisa left them with a promise to arrange some basic tests and a mental note to read up on obscure conditions. She felt this pregnancy was going to be a difficult one - but not for the mother!


End file.
